Conan

Overview

Conan is a popular open-source, decentralized package manager designed specifically for C and C++ developers. It enables engineering teams to create, share, and reuse native binaries across diverse operating systems and build configurations seamlessly. By handling ABI metadata and integrating natively with build systems like CMake and MSBuild, it drastically simplifies dependency management and accelerates continuous integration workflows.

What it does

• Manages and encapsulates C and C++ project dependencies into version-controlled packages.
• Builds, caches, and distributes precompiled native binaries across different architectures and compilers.
• Integrates smoothly with popular build systems including CMake, Meson, Ninja, and MSBuild.
• Supports decentralized private server hosting via native integration with JFrog Artifactory.

Who it's for

• C/C++ Developers
• Software Engineers
• DevOps Engineers
• Embedded Systems Teams

Why it works

• Decentralized architecture allows teams to host private packages securely on their own infrastructure.
• Comprehensive binary management caches builds to eliminate redundant local compilations.
• Build-system agnostic generators bridge diverse proprietary and open-source tooling environments seamlessly.
• Open-source MIT licensing and extensive community support lower enterprise adoption friction.

Founder story

Conan was created in 2016 to solve the long-standing challenge of dependency and binary management for C and C++ developers. Developed and maintained by JFrog alongside a vibrant open-source community, it has evolved into the industry standard native package manager.

Alternatives

• vcpkg
• Homebrew
• CPM.cmake
• Meson wrap

Comparison overview

• Conan provides a fully decentralized C/C++ package manager with robust binary caching and multi-platform profile controls, whereas Microsoft's vcpkg relies more heavily on a centralized triplet-based port system integrated into Visual Studio workflows.